OTTAWA — Nationalizing big oil and gas, withdrawing from NAFTA, and establishing a national cycling strategy are among the resolutions New Democrats will debate at a policy convention this weekend.

The items are on the complete list of 432 proposals the party received from riding associations, the party’s youth wing, the executive council and NDP committees and commissions. The party released the list online over the weekend.

Before the entire list was revealed, Postmedia News obtained the top 15 resolutions in each of seven categories, chosen by a committee tasked with winnowing down the entire list. Those top 105 resolutions are considered to be the most timely, most relevant and most representative of different parts of the country.

The rejection of public-private partnerships, marijuana decriminalization “as the first step to legalization” and a foreign investment review of Target’s takeover of Zellers were on that list. But as expected, the full list of proposals features some more controversial items.

Some of the environment-focused resolutions include supporting a ban on hydraulic fracturing in the Great Lakes Basin, ending captivity and captive breeding of whales, dolphins and porpoises, and enshrining the “right to a healthy environment” in the Canadian Constitution.

Others call for the “immediate cancellation” of the Northern Gateway Pipeline and opposing expansion of the Kinder Morgan pipeline, and to halt and phase out development of the “Alberta Tar Sands.”

Policy positions that are adopted by the approximately 2,000 delegates attending the three-day event in Montreal will inform the official Opposition’s platform heading into the 2015 federal election.

“You’re going to have resolutions that the party establishment gets squeamish about, but that’s the reality of democracy,” said Carleton University political scientist Bruce Hicks. “For a party like the New Democrats, which is a social democratic party, you’re going to get resolutions that reflect the socialist traditions of the party. There’s no getting away from that.”

However, many of the resolutions won’t make it as far as the convention floor. It’s unlikely some of the more radical ones, such as nationalizing big oil and gas, will receive a vote on the floor, observers said.

Delegates will have the opportunity next Friday morning to amend the resolutions and re-prioritize them behind closed doors before they’re brought to the NDP convention floor to be voted on. NDP national director Nathan Rotman said only the top eight to 10 resolutions in each category typically make it to a vote, due to time constraints.

Overall, the resolutions centre on the “new energy economy,” sustainability and the environment, social services, foreign policy, inclusive governance and human rights and the Canadian identity.

Among the resolutions are a number that affirm the party’s support for organized labour and collective bargaining and call for the repeal of Conservative legislation that will force labour unions to publicly disclose details of their finances.

Other resolutions affirm support for supply management, the protection of coastal areas and fish stocks, aboriginal education and a mixed-member proportional electoral system.

The party’s roots are well-represented in some proposals, including: enshrining in law a pay equity regime, creating new tax brackets for incomes above $150,000 and $300,000 per year, and introducing a .05 per cent “Robin Hood Tax” on financial transactions.

On the foreign policy front, one resolution calls for supporting Canada’s withdrawal from NAFTA and the World Trade Organization. Others call for the restoration of full diplomatic relations between Ottawa and Tehran, and opposing further Canadian intervention in Mali. Another calls for supporting efforts to “break the siege of Gaza” and promoting the campaign to “impose boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel.”

A resolution on the Middle East calls on Israel to end “settlement activities” in the West Bank, condemns rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and supports continuing financial support for the Palestinian Authority. Another seeks to protect immigrants who flee forced marriage or domestic abuse from the threat of deportation.

Other resolutions run the gamut from nationalizing the auto industry to developing policy allowing physician-assisted suicide, pursuing the goal of “establishing a parliamentary republic upon death of the current sovereign,” and supporting free post-secondary education.

Ian Capstick, the president of MediaStyle and a New Democrat, said while the “hobby horses” of some riding associations are on the list, it’s less controversial than in previous years. The influence of the party’s hard-left wing has weakened, he said, which is evidence of the party’s growth and maturation.

“Those radical elements are likely going to get drowned out by so many people who have winning on their minds,” he said, adding that the more extreme won’t make it to the convention floor for a vote.

There are several resolutions that support “innovation, science and technology” and a massive resolution aimed at bolstering support for veterans as well as recognition of female, aboriginal, and gay and lesbian veterans. Other proposals call for the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, improved safety and environmental protection for pipeline projects and the creation of a national mining strategy.

Many focus on hot topics such as cuts to employment insurance, the F-35 fighter jet controversy, robocalls, the Idle No More indigenous movement, affordable housing and Old Age Security, as well as food safety, sexual harassment in the RCMP and refugee health care.

A section that deals with party policy includes a controversial resolution to amend the preamble to the NDP constitution.

It’s aimed at watering down much of the socialist rhetoric that has formed the basis of the party’s raison d’etre for decades, but that many feel is now outdated as the party seeks to expand its base of supporters. A similar amendment came up during the party’s last convention in Vancouver in 2011, but delegates then were not ready to dump the word “socialist,” and instead turned the issue over to the executive council for further study.

The new proposed preamble was drafted by a number of notable party members, including former national leader Alexa McDonough, former Manitoba MP Bill Blaikie and past party president and leadership contender Brian Topp. It’s considerably longer than the existing one and focuses on the principles of “sustainable prosperity,” “freedom and democracy” and a “rules based economy.” It includes only veiled references to the party’s socialist base.

I cover justice, immigration and public safety issues as part of the Postmedia News politics team. I also keep tabs on what the official Opposition — the NDP — is up to in the House of Commons.
Before... read more coming here I spent several years in Montreal and Toronto with The Canadian Press covering provincial politics and major crime and court stories. I also helped cover the war in Afghanistan from inside and outside the wire.
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